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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · date · wave · hide · degree · drill · toast · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. date — the fruit
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. foot — a measure
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. toast — bread
  14. drill — a practice
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. drill — the tool
  19. degree — an amount
  20. drill — army training
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pass — to succeed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com